Cats of the New Forest: Night of No Stars
by SukiMikora
Summary: The cats of Dark Forest are planning an attack, and it is up to five apprentices to stop them. And what's worse, BrokenClan's vicious leader, Snakestar, is on their side. What will be the fate of the Clans? Read and find out... More inside.


Cats of the New Forest

**Ok, people. This was originally written by Blazeshadow of WoodClan, but she left FF so she asked me to finish this for her. Some of you may remember filling out the Create a cat. Anyway, here you go. Now, just so you know, look in Blazeshadow of WoodClan's Create a cat chapter 7 for the alliances. I am NOT copying all of that. anyway, this story is going to be pretty epic. anyway... Summary time.**

**Summary: When the medicine cat of WoodClan receives a prophecy, the Clan cats' lives take a huge turn. The cats of Dark Forest are planning an attack, and it is up to five apprentices to stop them. And what's worse, BrokenClan's vicious leader, Snakestar, is on their side. What will be the fate of the Clans? How many cats will die? Read... if you dare. This story will bring you close to all the main characters, and you will be drawn to keep your eyes fixed on this. Some parts will be heartwarming, while others will be daunting. Read to find out what will happen, and to determine the fate of the Clans.  
**

Chapter 1

Smudgepelt's Story

Rainpaw felt a small drop of water hit her nose. She sat up and opened her eyes. _Why did I fall asleep out here? _She asked herself. _I guess I just fell asleep. _She stood up and walked inside the apprentice den. It was starting to rain. She walked up to Redpaw, her best friend. She poked him with her paw. Redpaw rolled onto his back and looked up at her.

"Oh, it's you, Rainpaw," he muttered. Rainpaw lied down next to him.

"Morning, Redpaw," she mewed. Redpaw swiped his paw in the air.

"Hello, Rainpaw," he purred. "Are you going training with Swiftriver today?" Rainpaw nodded.

"Are you gonna be training with us?" she asked.

"Of course," Redpaw scoffed. "I always do." It had stopped raining. Rainpaw tilted her head to one side.

"Hey, let's go see if Firebloom and Smudgepelt have a story for us!" she meowed. The other apprentices were beginning to wake up.

"Hey, keep it down, we're trying to sleep!" Mintpaw whined. "Go somewhere else."

"Oh, shut up," Rainpaw scoffed. "We're leaving. Come on Redpaw." She and Redpaw walked out of the den. They walked across the clearing toward the elder's den. When they entered, the two elders were awake.

"Ah, well if it isn't Rainpaw and Redpaw! How are my two favorite apprentices?" Smudgepelt purred.

"Hello, Smudgepelt, Hello Firebloom," both apprentices purred. The elders purred back.

"I suppose you're here for a story," Firebloom meowed.

"That's right," Rainpaw purred.

"Well, let's see, let me check the old memory banks," Smudgepelt mewed.

"Ah! I have it! Come closer apprentices." The two apprentices snuggled up beside the elders.

"Well, when I was just a tiny kit, I wasn't in the clan. I was a rogue," Smudgepelt began. "My mother and father raced through the forest, trying hard to escape the danger that was trying to get them. The danger was three dogs, rottweilers to be precise. My mother carried me in her mouth. I was only four moons old! The three dogs surrounded us and howled. Their howls were unlike anything I've ever heard. That sound sent chills up my spine. As they howled, more howls echoed through the forest. In minutes, we were surrounded by large dogs unlike any I have ever seen. They were large with yellow eyes. They had bushy tails just like foxes that they held down instead of sticking up like most dogs. Most of them were gray and white. They threw their heads back and howled, long and terrifying. But their howls were not like that of a rottweiler's. Their howls were soft and graceful, while the rottweiler's howls where ragged and menacing. The pack of dogs moved closer to us. They snarled menacingly. All of a sudden, a red dog, just like the others, jumped in front of us. But his eyes told me that he was friendly, and would not harm us. He blocked us from the others, snarling fiercely. The other dogs backed up. Suddenly, the red dog picked us up, one by one, and threw us on his back!" Rainpaw and Redpaw's eyes grew large. Smudgepelt continued his story.

"The dog leaped over the other dogs, and raced away. Unlike the others, he held his tail up high above his back. He soon reached a pool of water. He let us off of his back, and then he did a very unexpected thing!" he said. Rainpaw pawed the ground.

"What did he do?" The apprentices asked shakily. The old cat looked up at the den roof.

"He spoke. Real words came out of his mouth as he stared at us."

"'Go to the east, towards the Great Lake. You will find shelter there,' he told us. My family and I were aghast. We never knew dogs could talk! As it turned out, the dog was not a dog, he was an animal called a wolf, and he was the leader of his pack. His name was Shikiru. We followed his advice and headed to the east. But, little did we know, the wolf pack was on our trail. They followed us, day and night, until we reached the Great Lake, where we now live. We met a young yellow cat. She told us her name was Honeystar. She explained everything about the clan to us. My parents gave me and my sister up to the clan, for they feared that we would not be safe outside the clan. I was five moons when we reached the Great Lake, and I always had dreams about how, just one moon ago, we had met Shikiru. When I was six moons old, I was given the name Smudgepaw, and my sister was Lilypaw. The wolves had been watching us, and they decided it was time to attack. They sprang through camp, crushing any cat in their way. We all scratched the wild killers. My sister, Lilypaw, leaped at one big black wolf. I couldn't watch. I didn't want to watch, but I had to watch. I stared as my sister was torn apart in front of my eyes." Smudgepelt continued. The apprentices were shaking in fear now.

"We finally won the battle. Ten cats were lost in the fight. It was a big loss. It was Firebloom, at that time Firepaw, who comforted me after my sister's death. All the apprentices that had survived, as a reward for defending their clan so fiercely, were all given warrior names. I became Smudgepelt, and Firepaw became Firebloom," Smudgepelt said.

"So you won?" Redpaw asked.

"Yes, but it was a huge loss," Smudgepelt meowed. The apprentices bowed their heads.

"Alright guys, go on. Your mentors are waking up," Firebloom meowed. The apprentices left the elder's den and moved toward the center of camp.

"That story was pretty scary," Rainpaw said. "And I never thought that dogs could talk."


End file.
